Baked's Sweet and Salty Cake is a dark chocolate cake with salted caramel, caramel chocolate ganache and fleur de sel. Without exaggeration, this is the best chocolate cake I have ever eatten. That said it is also crazy labor intensive and not for the timid. I am working on a easier knock off but until then I just want to tip my hat to the fellas at Baked.
For The Cake:
3 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate
1 1/2 cups hot brewed coffee (i used espresso)
3 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
fleur de sel caramel (recipe below)
whipped caramel ganache icing (recipe below)
Special equipment: two 10- by 2-inch round cake pans (I used two 9 inch - I baked it a few minutes longer)
Preheat oven to 300 F and butter pans. Line bottoms with rounds of parchment paper. Butter again and dust both pans with cocoa powder. Tap and swirl around the cocoa to lightly coat the pans.
Finely chop chocolate and in a bowl combine with hot coffee. Let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
Into a large bowl sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
In another large bowl with an electric mixer beat eggs until thickened slightly and lemon colored (about 3 minutes with a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a hand-held mixer).
Slowly add oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to eggs, beating until combined well. Add sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined well.
Divide batter between pans and bake in middle of oven until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes.
Cool layers completely in pans on racks. Run a thin knife around edges of pans and invert layers onto racks. Carefully remove parchment paper and cool layers completely. Cake layers may be made 1 day ahead and kept, wrapped well in plastic wrap, at room temperature.
while the cake is cooling make the fleur de sel caramel (recipe below) & the whipped caramel ganache icing (recipe below). then proceed to assemble the cake.
Place four strips of parchment paper around perimeter of a serving plate or lazy Susan. Place the first layer on the cake plate. Poke a bunch of holes into the cake with a skewer to allow the caramel to penetrate the cake. Spread the fleur de sel caramel on the cake layer, allowing some of the caramel to soak into the cake. Follow the caramel layer with a layer of the ganache icing.
Place the second layer on top. Spread entire cake with a thin layer of the ganache icing (to dirty ice the cake). Put the cake in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes. Then use the rest of the icing to make a smooth layer all over the cake. Sprinkle with fleur de sel. Carefully remove the parchment paper from under the cake before serving.
Fleur De Sel Caramel
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon fleur de sel
1/4 cup sour cream
Combine 1/4 cup water, sugar, and corn syrup in a medium saucepan; stir to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the mixture reaches 350 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in another small saucepan, mix together cream and salt. Bring cream to a boil and cook until salt has dissolved, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
When the caramel mixture has reached 350 degrees, remove from heat and allow to cool for 1 minute. Carefully add the hot cream to the caramel; stir to combine. Whisk in sour cream. Cool, and store in an airtight container, refrigerated, for up to 3 days.
Whipped Caramel Ganache Icing
1 pound dark chocolate, chopped
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 pound (4 sticks) butter, cut into tablespoon-sized pieces, softened but still cool
Combine 1/4 cup water, sugar, and corn syrup in a medium saucepan; stir to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the mixture reaches 350 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes.
In another small saucepan add cream and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside.
When the caramel mixture has reached 350 degrees, remove from heat and allow to rest for 1 minute. Add the hot cream to the caramel; stir to combine. Let cool 5 minutes. Place chocolate in the bowl of an electric mixer and pour caramel sauce over chocolate. Let sit 1 minute before stirring from the center until chocolate is melted.
Attach bowl to electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low until the bowl feels cool to the touch. Add butter and increase speed to medium-high until mixture is well combined, thickened, and slightly whipped, about 2 minutes.
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